1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a male urinary catheter for the evacuation and transmission of urine for use by incontinent individuals utilizing an external catheter bag having a platform therein for supporting the male genital organ to prevent the penis from coming in contact with urine voided.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many male external urinary catheters on the market today, such as the "Texas" catheter and the "Navy" catheter. The usual structure of these catheters is that they possess a sheath-like member which covers the penis and they are held in position on the patient by an adjustable band. An exit tube for urine voided is located at the end of this sheath member. Although in widespread use, the present art is not without its shortcomings. First, when voiding takes place, urine inevitably backs up into the sheath member causing serious infection and/or urine burns if the urine is not cleaned off the patient soon after it is voided. Moreover, the end of the sheath can easily twist preventing drainage, thereby causing the urine to back up immediately and leakage can occur at the upper end of the sheath causing great discomfort and embarrassment to the patient. In use the adjustable strap holding the sheath to the penis can have a tourniquet effect and be physiologically dangerous because of venous constriction which can cause edema. The physician treating an incontinent male patient has the choice of using either an internal catheter or an external catheter. Internal catheters are used far less frequently than external catheters because internal catheters have a higher incidence of infection and patients must be administered antibiotics concurrently with the utilization of internal catheters.
The device of this invention has been developed to provide a male external urinary catheter that is comfortable, functional, and hygienic and which eliminates the problems associated with external catheters presently on the market.